What Sorts of Facts Can Be Obtained From Cincinatti Directories?

Cincinnati directories produced by the telephone company Cincinnati Bell include phone numbers and street addresses of individuals, listed alphabetically by last name, as well as street addresses and phone numbers for businesses and government offices. These directories are available online and in printed form.

Cincinnati Bell produces the traditional "white pages" directory for Cincinnati. As of 2015, the company offers an online directory where consumers may search for private individuals, businesses or government offices by name. The results of these searches reveal the name, address and phone number, but no additional information. Printed directories have historically included this information as well as street maps for Cincinnati and advertisements purchased by local businesses. Other industry-specific directories with reviews of businesses in the Cincinnati area are also available online; one example is Urban Spoon, which lists restaurants and includes reviews.

Historical Cincinnati directories are available at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. This library also maintains an online collection of directories from as early as 1819 to as recent as 1941. These directories are scanned and downloadable in PDF format and include telephone numbers for individuals as well as listings for businesses and non-profit organizations, advertisements, and city street maps.